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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: face · bound · chest · band · date · safe · jam · kick

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. band — a ring
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. chest — a box
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bound — obliged
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bound — tied together
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. chest — of your body
  17. face — to confront
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. face — to point toward
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bound — certain
  22. kick — in football
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. date — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com